Daniel Lane

AARON MOOY worked hard and sacrificed plenty to earn his spurs as a Socceroo, but when the midfielder attended Quakers Hill Police Station on Thursday he found it easy to part with his treasured green-and-gold shirt.

Mooy presented the shirt he wore in last year's Asia Cup qualifier against Hong Kong - along with a signed Wanderers shirt - to raise funds for the family of Detective-Inspector Bryson Anderson, who died after he was struck by a knife when he attended a domestic disturbance last December.

The officer left behind a wife and three children aged between 10 and 15, and Mooy revealed he had a good reason for wanting his match-worn Australia shirt to add to the memorial fund established to help the Andersons.

''My uncle is a police officer, and when he told me about what happened [to Bryson Anderson] I just wanted to help the family, because I think every little bit helps,'' Mooy told Fairfax Media.

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''It wasn't hard to give up the shirt, it was easy, because it's going to a good cause and I know I'm doing a good thing.''

Mooy's mother Sam, whose mother was left to raise six children after her father died, said it pleased her to think her son's Socceroos shirt, and the autographed Wanderers' strip, would help allow Inspector Anderson's widow Donna to ''breathe''.

''I hope the shirts do well for the Anderson family,'' she said. ''I hope it gives the lady time to breathe, pay the bills and helps get the kids to school.

''I remember what my mum went through when she was left with six children when she was only 35. I was 17 and it wasn't good. We learned about keeping the family together with good morals and what it takes to get by. I hope Aaron's jumper raises a lot of money and gives her time to get five minutes amid everything that's going on in her life.''

Sam said her brother-in-law, Paul, had worked alongside Inspector Anderson, and that the tragedy reinforced the dreadful fear held by all family members of a police officer.

''Paul is everything to us, and if anything ever happened to him there's three girls left behind,'' she said. ''We keep our fingers crossed … you never know what's around the corner. Police officers are people who go to work not knowing if they'll come home.''

Detective-Inspector Brett Guyatt of Quakers Hill police said when receiving the gift on behalf of the Anderson family that Mooy's gesture was typical of the support from the area,

''This shirt will be a huge benefit for the fund that has been set up for Bryson and his family, and we appreciate the help,'' Inspector Guyatt said. ''It means a lot, it means Bryson hasn't been forgotten, and for this to come from a young member of the community, as Aaron is, it shows the death affected him and that's why he's prepared to donate his football shirts.

''It is an indicator the local community respect the police and care about the tragic incident that was Bryson's death.''

Mooy, who said he played football for the enjoyment of the sport and not the promise of riches, believed it was his responsibility as a footballer to help and inspire others. ''People are passionate about football, and it means a lot to them,'' he said. ''I've noticed when people go to a Western Sydney game and we've won 5-0 or something like that, the supporters are happy all week. Football can change lives - they enjoy it, and it gives people something to hang on to.''